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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · club · pass · can · wind · bank · bear · mouse

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — for money
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wind — moving air
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — of a word
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com